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So I went to the doctor yesterday to get my cat's annual shots & I told the doctor we were moving to Arizona at the end of May & he suggested instead of a tranquilizer (which I'd given him on our last out-of-state move) to give him Children's Benadryl for the long 13 hour or so drive? I looked at him like he was crazy, but he said it was safe.

This is our 2nd out-of-state move--the first one I got a tranquilizer from the vet. It made his eyes bug out & gave him that 'third eyelid.' He still cried most of the way there & it was not a fun experience.

Has anyone ever given their cat Benadryl or heard of this? The doctor said it would probably make him drowsy & sleep most of the way.

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl): can be used as an off label use in cats and dogs, You need to find out from your vet WHICH formulation he approves as there are several available with extra stuff in them that could be harmful. Have him tell you what DOSE he feels is safe also. We have a specific mg/kg dose for cats.

Your first Rx was probably Acepromazine. It has a broader dose range. So it's harder to dose a first-timer (some kids can hold their "liquor" better than others).

tulegirl,
You were right--in looking at my records, he was given Acepromazine 10 mg tablets almost 2 years ago when we moved before.

And yes, the doctor did tell me that I would have to give him 7 ccs or 15-16 mg per dose of Benadryl--which is much less than what is in the adult Benadryl tablet (25 mg a tablet). He also did tell me to make sure it has ONLY Diphenhydramine in it, nothing extra.

So if I do give him this recommended dosage, will it make him sleep during the trip?

Yeah, the doctor told me to 'test it out' before the move. I think I'm going to buy some this weekend & try it out & watch him to see what happens. I know what you mean, Benadryl doesn't really make me drowsy either. Doctor wants me to test it out in case I do have to end up going back there for a tranquilizer. We'll see what happens. Any other many different kinds of tranquilizers for cats? Or is that Acepromazine the main one? Thanks for the well wishes.

I have used Baby Benadryl for my cats for years, sometimes frequently, to treat upper respiratory infections (URI). I've never heard that it makes them drowsy, nor have I seen that it has this effect on them specifically.

Baby Benadryl comes in two forms, liquid and tablet form. I have an easier time dosing my cats with the tablet form than the liquid. Apparently, it is the flavoring in the baby Benadryl that makes the cat's mouth foam up. So, the trick is to be really quick in getting the tablet down the cat's throat prior to him tasting it too much. The very first time I dosed my cat with this stuff, her little mouth foamed up like a bubble bath, and she ran around the house shaking this foam all over the place. I thought my vet was crazy, recommending this treatment. But since then, I've learned how to dose them to reduce this reaction.

I give my fairly large cats (they weigh around 10-13 pounds) 1/2 tablet, 2 times a day. I do this as soon as he/she starts to sneeze, which is the first indication that the URI is beginning. Generally, this will ward off a full-blown infection. I've successfully treated two of my cats who both have URIs for years now. It is far better than treating them with antibiotics which do nothing for the URI itself, since that is produced by a virus and thus, incurable, but will treat secondary symptoms.

A number of my cat friends use Rescue Remedy to calm their 'nervous' cats. I use Rescue Remedy sleep formula personally, but have never used it on my cats. You might want to look into that.

How cool is that? I think it's the same formula, though, for humans. The packaging is exactly the same as I get. I don't see anything on your link that indicates it's a different forumla than the human stuff.

I know several people who have used that for their cats for various stress situations and each person has stated it worked well. That it is more natural, I think, warrants trying it before anything else.

PLEASE be sure to tell your vet that you use this product if your pet needs (or is already on) any other types of medicating (anesthesia, pain management, etc...). Homeopathic products can cause adverse reactions when combined with other pharmaceuticals.

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